The little beauty blushed.
"Oh, then your time was thrown away," she said; "you should not busy yourself with so idle a personage."
"Ah!" sighed Jacques, "how can I help it?"
"What a lovely day!" said Belle-bouche, in order to divert the conversation. "Aunt and myself thought we'd come down to the quarters and see the sick. I carried mammy Lucy some nice things, and aunt went on to see about some spinning, and I came here to look over this book of songs, which I have just got from London."
"Songs?" said Jacques, with deep interest, and bending down until his lips nearly touched the little hand; "songs, eh?"
"Scottish songs," laughed Belle-bouche; "and when you came I was reading this one, which seems to be the chronicle of a very unfortunate gentleman."
With which words Belle-Bouche, laughing gaily, read:
"Now Jockey was a bonny lad
As e'er was born in Scotland fair;
But now, poor man, he's e'en gone woad,
Since Jenny has gart him despair.
"Young Jockey was a piper's son,
And fell in love when he was young;
But a' the spring that he could play
Was o'er the hills and far away!"
And ending, Belle-bouche handed the book, with a merry little glance, to Jacques, who sighed profoundly.